Please help. Did my mom die of a heart attack?

Question

A week ago my mom passed away very suddenly. We did not do an autopsy as we know she died of natural causes. But the family is wondering wether it was a heart attack or something else such as a massive stroke, heat stroke, or an anyurism.
The facts:
She had been out in the garden weeding for most of the day. The weather was 95 degrees and humidity was high. She came in around 6 pm and said she was tired and had a heartburn so she took some antacids and went to lay down. at 6:30 she got up and said she felt better. At 7 pm the lights went out due to a thunderstorm. While the lights were out she lost her bowels. She agreed to go to the ER, but wanted to shower first due to being soiled from losing her bowels. They came on at 7:30. She then took and shower and dressed herself. The neighbor came to take her to the ER. She got in the car and buckled her seat belt. Immediately she passed out. She was breating with a pulse for about 5 min. before dying.
What caused her death?

Answer 1

First of all accept my heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of your mother death, may her soul rest in eternal peace .
I am sorry to write that your died of Acute Massive Infarction of heart.
Was she hypertensive or diabetic or both? Such incidences are common in hot weather, as a precipitating factor.

Answer 2

What a ghastly thing to have to deal with. No wonder you're asking what the hell happened!
Sadly, without that autopsy, you'll never know for sure. Not knowing her age, her physical condition and her medical history, nobody here - even those of us with a solid medical background - can do more than hazard a guess. Given the little information you've posted here, I'd suspect a cardiac event. And not knowing whether there were something more anyone could have done to save her has to be even more heartbreaking. Sometime, life is cruel.
You sorely need to find comfort and solace. That's what family and friends are for; stay close to yours. They probably need to share their pain with you as much as you need to share yours. Together, you'll get through this, even though it's hard to imagine so now.

Answer 3

Really sorry for your loss. As many have said already, autopsy is only definite way of knowing the cause of death for your mom.
Without knowing if she had any pre-existing risk factors (High glucose, BP, High bad cholesterol, smoking, alcohol) or past history and family history, it is very difficult to even guess the cause of her sudden demise. But from your description, it does appear that heart attack can not be ruled out. You never mentioned if she had pain....that is another thing people generally feel the most when they get heart attack. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

It really doesn't matter exactly why your Mom died as long as you know it was natural causes. Your description sounds like an electrical disturbance in her heart though if you are just guessing.
I think you made a wise choice in not having an autopsy. I know when my dad died, I just did not want them to cut him up. It just seemed too disrespectful to him. And for some reason I was just so concerned that they used pain killers just in case.
And whatever a person died from really doesn't change the fact that they did pass. Just let it go, and settle it in your heart that it doesn't matter. You know it was cardiovascular in some way, and that is enough to know.
I'm sorry you lost your Mom.

Answer 5

I am so sorry for your loss. An autopsy usually is performed when someone dies suddenly---I don't think there is a way to tell what was wrong without one.
The only clue could be the heartburn---maybe it wasn't heartburn. Sometimes people have the idea they have heartburn when they are actually having a heart attack.
Again, I'm sorry.

Answer 6

Somebody had to put cause of death on the Death Certificate, what does it say.

Answer 7

I don't think anyone but a doctor can answer that for you...I'm so sorry for your loss.

Answer 8

It sounds as though that she did.